Frauen Bundesliga week 8 Review: Hoffenheim up to seventh

Köln grab second successive win

In the Frauen-Bundesliga, Freiburg dropped points to Sand but managed to stay top after a late draw as Munich well held to the same score by Potsdam whilst Bremen and Essen played out the third draw of the day.

Elsewhere, Hoffenheim deepened Jena’s woes, as Köln made it two wins from two at Duisburg’s expense before Wolfsburg grabbed a narrow win over Frankfurt to keep them hot on Freiburg’s tail.

On a rain soaked pitch in Willstätt, league leaders Freiburg found themselves frustrated by a Sand team who were in no mood to hand their opposition three points. The hosts took the lead half-way through the first half when Verena Aschauer’s corer curled over the mess of bodies and towards to the back post, Sarah Puntigam’s header on the line only enough to nod it against the bar as it fell behind her before eventually bouncing off of her ankles and firmly over the line.

Chances came and went for both, the visitors knocking on the door before Klara Bühl turned an uncleared corner home with the box packed, both teams frantic before the 16-year-old found the right touch to best Carina Schlüter.Jana Vojteková’s superb curled free kick just three minutes later had the hosts back on top as the ball whipped around the wall and into the back of the net with Laura Benkarth left rooted.

Having slipped to the top of the table last time out, SCF would have been loathed to drop from the top spot so soon and fast go back to work, hammering Schlüter’s goal, thwarted at every turn. A point better than nothing, Lina Magull’s late stopping header finally brought about a second and deserved Freiburg goal, keeping them top with Sand unable to continue their ascent up the table.

Having wiped out Nicole Rolser, Lisa Schmitz was powerless to stop Melanie Behringer’s eighth minute penalty as she went the wrong way and the Bavarians took the lead early in the day in Potsdam. Unfazed by conceding, the Turbines were soon looking for an equaliser, Rahel Kwici’s bullet header on her first start for her new club, after the break enough to bring about parity.

Instantly losing possession after a throw-in in her their own half, Potsdam were again pegged back by Bayern, Fridolina Rolfö’s solid form carrying over as she fired low and slipped the ball inside of Schmitz’ near post. Doing well to weather the pressure from the hosts, Munich were sucker-punched ten minutes from time when Verena Faißt was shown a straight red for a sloppy challenge on Svenja Huth and Gina Chmielinski utilised the resulting free kick. A poor initial effort from Chmielinski dropped back to her, the 17-year-old taking a touch before curling the ball around the still standing wall and into the back of the net.

The draw Potsdam’s sixth consecutive of the season and leaves them, bafflingly, one of the two teams yet to lose, but keeps them considerably off of the pace. For Munich the draw could have been worse, the team drop back to third behind Wolfsburg on goals scored alone.

Nicole Billa showed her composure in the box to keep control of the ball and touch it around her marker before firing under Justien Odeurs to give the hosts the lead on the half-hour. The Austrian international in fine form as she doubled the advantage ten minutes later with a shot that arced just over the already-committed ‘keeper. Isabella Hartig scuffed the chance to further the advantage after the break before setting up Emily Evels with a ball across that the substitute poked home to further Jena’s poor start to the season and leave them with ust a point from nine.

After Ina Lehmann was felled in the box and Irini Ioannidou saw her low penalty saved well by Anneke Borbe it was inevitable that the match would finish scoreless, the young Bremen ‘keeper sharp throughout to deny SGS their best efforts. A late drive from Werder wasn’t enough to snatch the points and the two were forced to settle for a point a piece, neither moving up nor down from last week to this.

Duisburg fell to yet another narrow loss this time at the hands of promoted Köln, well in it throughout one more it was the Zebra’s lack of finishing that cost them as they saw chance after chance go begging. The decisive moment came shortly after the restart, Amber Hearn clinical to fire the ball towards the top corner and just out of Lena Nuding’s reach on the stretch following a deep free kick. Still comprising two of the bottom three both have a long way to go in the season yet.

Wolfsburg slipped back into the top two with a narrow in at home to an improving Frankfurt team. Ewa Pajor's breathless run up the right flank was capped off with a determined sliding finish from Pernille Harder as the Danish international swept the Pajor’s lay-off past Bryane Heaberlin. Beaten once but not again, the summer signing refused to let the hosts double their lead, Heaberlin worked throughout as Wolfsburg saw far more of the ball but lacked the touch of magic to find a second.